Apparatus for charging or otherwise treating liquids with gases



March 8, 1949.

J. JOHNSON 2,463,975

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING-OR OTHERWISE TREATING LIQUIDS WITH .GASES Filed April l1, 1945 4 sheets-sheet 1 March 8,

Filed Agril 11, s45

J. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CHARGING 0R OTHERWISE TREATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,463,975 ISE March 8. 1949. J. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR CHARGING OR OTHERW TREATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April l1, 1945 March 8, 1949 J. JOHNSON 2,463,975

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING 0R OTHERWISE TREATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES Filed April 11, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.-

2 n @E 4 8o Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CHARGING OR OTHER- WISE TREATING LEQUKDS WITH GASES Application April 11, 1945, Serial No. 587,798

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for effecting a thorough charging, impregnation or other mixing or treatment of a liquid with a gas and has for its general object to provide improved means that may be used for the aeration or carbonation of liquids for any purpose or for the hydrogenation or other gaseous treatment of liquids in chemical processes.

In order to bring about eifective aeration, carbonation or other charging, impregnation or mixing of liquids with gases and also in order to carry on efficiently those chemical reactions which involve the diffusion of a gaseous reagent throughout a liquid, as in hydrogenation, it is important not only that the distribution oi the gas throughout the liquid be as complete as possible, but usually that the gas be disseminated throughout the liquid in as fine bubbles as possible. A particular object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide apparatus in which the bubble size can be so controlled as to secure the desired impregnation or other treatment of a liquid with a gas, the apparatus being particularly adapted to effect a thorough diifusion of a gas, in the form of very ne bubbles, throughout the liquid to be impregnated or treated.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of means for effecting a thorough commingling of the parts of a liquid which has rst been charged or impregnated with the desired gas in the apparatus, such treatment not only insuring thorough homogenization of the miX- ture of liquid and gas but insuring also the separation, for recycling or other disposition, of those bubbles of the gas which may be of a size not suitable for the desired end.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of means for insuring a recycling, after the commingling or mixing operation, of those parts of the gas which have been introduced into the liquid but not eifectively diffused therein.

Other objects and important features of the invention to which specific reference has not been made hereinabove will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through charging or diffusing apparatus embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a slight modication of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 of Figure l showing the arrangement of the two perforated plates constituting the jet producing mechanism of the apparatus;

Figure 4 shows the invention embodied in a multiple unit arrangement in which the liquid to be charged or treated with the gas travels in succession through a series of diffusing units in one direction and any unabsorbed or unmxed gas travels through the units in the opposite directio-n;

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing a modified multiple unit construction;

Figure 6 is another vertical section similar to Figure i showing still another modication of the multiple unit construction, and

Figure 7 is a transverse section, on the line 'i-'i of Figure 6, showing the overflow arrangement for maintaining the water levels in each of the successive units of the structure.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, which shows a single unit with provision for recycling the unabsorbed or unmixed part of the gas and a part of the liquid, the diifusing apparatus comprises means, including a liquid container and a multiple jet producing device, for causing the liquid, which is to be charged, impregnated or treated with a gas, to travel in numerous intimately spaced jets through an atmosphere oi said gas into a body of the said liquid in said container; means for maintaining a constant head upon the jets; means for maintaining the atmosphere through which the jets travel, means for maintaining a constant level of the body of liquid, all in combination with means for effecting a thorough commingling of the parts of the charged liquid. As herein shown, the Vjet producing means and the means for eifecting a commingling of the parts of the charged liquid are all contained within a main container 2 provided with a gas intake 4 and a liquidintake y(i. No substantial head is required on the gas flowing into the chamber 2 through lthe gas intake 4 or on the liquid flowing into said container 2 through the liquid intake tube t. The hydraulic head for producing the jets hereinafter to be described is provided by maintaining in the chamber 2 a constant liquid level 8 8.

Located within the container 2, which may be cylindrical, is a hopper-like diffuser structure I0, preferably concentric with the wall of the container 2 and supported therein by any suitable braces or brackets i2, welded to the inside wall of the container and to the outside wall of the hopper-like diffuser structure I0. The upper end of the diffuser casing i0 iscovered with a. stationary perforated plate l2 having preferably hundreds of jet-producing openings I4 therein. There is preferably superimposed upon the plate I2 a second movable perforated plate I6, the perforations I8 in which are preferably of approximately the same size as the perfor-ations I4 in the stationary plate I2 and may be moved into and out of complete register with the perforations I4 in the plate I2 for cleaning purposes. The plate I6 is rotatably mounted on the gas conduit 28 extending upwardly from the center of the perforated plate I2 and having, near its upper end, intake openings 22 through which gas to supply a gas atmosphere above the liquid in the diffuser casing IIl can pass into the conduit 25 and therethrough into the casing I8.

In one position of the plate I5 its holes I8 will be in full register with the holes I4 of the plate I2 so that liquid can ilow freely therethrough and remove any material that may have clogged the jet openings. Preferably, however, the jet openings will be smaller than either the holes I4 or the holes I8 and therefore the plate I6 is preferbaly turned into a position so that only relatively narrow slits are left through which the liquid can pass to form the jets 24.

In order that the jets 24 may travel through an atmosphere of the gas, before striking the liquid in the diffuser casing I8, a liquid circulating rotor is connected with the outlet 26 at the reduced end of the casing I8 in such manner :is

that it tends to draw down the level of the liquid in the casing lil to provide a space 28, between the perforated plate I2 and the liquid level 35, in which the gas to be mixed with and diused throughout the liquid can be brought into intimate relation to the jets 24.

The means for withdrawing the liquid through the outlet 26 from the diffuser housing Il] at such a rate as to create the gas space 28 above the liquid in the casing I0 is preferably associated with means for insuring a thorough commingling or mixing of the different parts of the charged liquid with each other as they are withdrawn from the casing I8 and discharged into the body of the liquid in the container 2. means is preferably of the general type of those disclosed in the co-pending application of John Johnson, deceased, Serial No. 569,719, led December 26, 1944, the particular form shown in Figure 1 of this drawing being that disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings of said co-pending application and comprising a rotor, having propeller blades 32 mounted on a hub 34, carried on a shaft 36 depending from a driving motor 38 mounted upon a cover 40 for the container 2.

Cooperating with the propeller blades 32 are stator blades 42 which may be attached as shown to the bottom of the container 2.

The propeller blades 32 carry at their outer ends a flow directing shroud 44 which extends over the stator blades 42 and carries, attached to a flange 46 on its periphery, a cylindrical perforated plate or screen 48. The screen 48 is substantially contiguous to an inner cylindrical perforated plate or screen 50, the perforations in which are adapted to register with the perforations in the screen 48 in certain parts of the relative movements of the two screens. The screen 5i), as shown, is attached to the stator blades 42 and therefore the screen 48 moves over the screen 50 as the rotor turns.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the propeller blades 32 of the rotor, as the rotor turns, create a down ow of the liquid through the rotor, which, by reason of the shape This mixing of the propeller blades, is a combined downward and outward flow, and that the liquid, as it strikes the stator blades 42, is subjected to a thorough mixing action even before it is discharged through the screens 58 and 48. After passing through the spaces between the stator blades 42 the liquid first strikes the screen 5i) and passes through the perforations therein and then passes through the perforations in the screen 48, which is moving over the screen 58, so that the size of the resultant jet producing openings in the two screens varies constantly, the liquid being thus subjected to a hydraulic shearing action as it is withdrawn from the diffuser casing Ill and discharged into the body of the liquid in the container 2.

The liquid level 8--8 in the container 2 is maine tained by providing an outlet pipe 52 in the container 2 through which charged liquid is withdrawn at a rate substantially equal to the rate of its introduction through the intake pipe 6. It will be seen, however, that, by reason of the action of the liquid circulating rotor, a considerable part `of the liquid in the container 2 will be re-circulated and again pass through the jetu producing openings I4 and I8 in the plates l2 and I 5, thus passing again through the gas atmosphere in the space 23 in the diffuser casing I 0. It will further be seen that the outlet pipe 52 extends into the container 2 a sufiicient distance so that the liquid discharged from the container will be that in the relatively inactive zone 54 between the upper surface of the shroud 44 and the conical lower surface of the hopper-like diffuser casing I8. The liquid thus discharged through the discharge pipe 52 will be that which has had the gas thoroughly diffused throughout it in the form of small bubbles, any large bubbles having a chance to escape and pass along up to the upper part of the container 2, where the bubbles are again discharged into the incoming stream of gas and recycled.

The rate of withdrawal of the charged liquid through the discharge pipe 52 is, as above stated, gauged so that it will maintain a constant level 3-8 in the container The speed of rotation of the rotor propeller blades 32 is so determined that, with the head provided by the liquid level 8-8 and the rate of flow of the liquid through the jet openings i4 and I8 in the plates I2 and i6, the level of the liquid in the casing I0 will be maintained at the level 36-38 It has been found in practice that, with a head of about 12" from the plates I2 and It to the liquid level --B and with a drop of 3" to 4 from the plate I2 to the liquid level 38-38, the jets 24 will carry the gas from the space 23 into the liquid in the casing It in the :form of a very large number of very iine bubbles, e. g., about als" in diameter.

w These bubbles are then drawn into the rot-or of the mixer or homogenizer hereinabove described and forced through the screens or perforated plates 58 and 48, which further tend to reduce the bubble size and to diffuse the gas thoroughly f. throughout the liquid. The fine bubbles, which are mixed with or absorbed by the liquid, as above stated, will be those which are eventually carried out through the discharge pipe 52 with the liquid. Also, as above stated, the large bubbles will rise through the liquid level 8-8 where they will break and the gas thus released will be recycled through the openings 22 in the gas conduit 28, through which they are led back into the gas atmosphere in the space 28 in the diffusing casing Ill` assenza' In the form of' the invention showninligure 2V the gas, instead of being' recycledl as in theV form shown in Figure is passed only once through the diffuser and homogenizen any gas not mixed with or absorbed by the liquid passing out, through the gas discharge 555. In this form of the apparatus, which is well adapted for treating a batch of liquid. as in hydrogenation, the container 58 is provided with a batch 0f the liquid to be treated up to the level `Sil-60 and this liquid is passed through the diffuser andI homogenizer and recycled in the same manne-r asin the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, but, new liquid is not constantly introduced and charged liquid withdrawn, as in the invention shown in Figure l. The gas with which the liquid is to be charged or treated is introduced into a gas compartment 62, superimposed upon the container 58, this compartment being connected with the gas atmosphere in the upper part of the casing l 0, by a gas conduit 5d and the gas space above the level (iB-Sil of the liquid in the container 58 being connected with the gas discharge 56.

When liquid, containing material which is lia.- ble to cause clogging of the jet openings in the plates l2' and l5, is being lcharged or otherwise treated in the apparatus shown in Figure 1 or in that shown in Figure 2, provision is made, as hereinabove pointed out, for effecting a relative movement of the plates i2 and. I6 to bring their openings it and I8 into complete register to effect a cleaning out of these openings and for then again adjusting them to provide the desired narrow slits for producing the jets 24 of small cross section. This adjustment may be effected from outside the casing in any suitable manner as, for example, by providing the perforated plate I6 with an annular, or segmental, rack ylili engaged by a pinion 68 on a shaft 10 extending through a bearing 'l2 on the cover 40 of the container 2. This shaft Hl may be turned by hand to effect the cleaning adjustment of the plates l2 and I5 or, if desired, when the annular rack is employed, it. may be turned constantly to effect intermittent cleaning operations by means of a worm and worm gear drive 'Ul from a horizontal shaft T6 intergeared with the main propeller shaft 36 in any suitable manner, as. by means of bevel gears not shown. The worm and worm gear drive 14, not shown in detail, will effect a slow-turning of thel plate IB which, as above pointed out, has its hub 78 mounted on the gas conduit 20. This slow turning of the plate iiiv will gradually vary the eifective jet openings through the plates l2 and IB- from very small narrow jet-forming openings to full openings when the openings I4 and I3 come into register with each other.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the relatively movable shearing or homogenizing perforated plates 48 and 50, associated with the liquidA circulating propeller, arev omitted and the maximum impregnation or treatment is brought about by passing the liquid, in one direction, through aseries of diffusers and mixers and the gas, in the other direction, through the same series. As shown in Figure 4. a series of three combined diifusers and mixers are arranged in a vertical column or stack, one

above the other, in a common casing 80 in such that the charged liquid isy withdrawn from bottom compartment 82' and the gas is introduced. into this bottom compartmenty 82, while the liquid is introduced into the top coinpautment 86 and spent gas: iswithdrawn from the said` top compartment.

6. the gas. is introduced into the lowermost comn partment 82 through a gas intake 88, above the level 90--90- ofthe liquid in the diffuser casing or housingy 92 in this compartment, and the charged or otherwise treated liquid is withdrawn from this compartment 82 through the outlet pipe 9d. The diffuser casing or housing 92 is of a construction substantially the same as that of'- the diffuser casing l0, shown in Figure 1, except that only a single jet forming perforated plate 9S is shown at its top and the gas intake pipe passes, through. the conical Wall of the casing 92` to discharge the gas in the space above the liquid level BB-QD in saidv casing. There is likewise provided in each of the diffuser casings 92 'in each of the chambers 82, 84 and 86, a passage through the conical wall thereof for the overflow liquid from each of the upper compartments.

As shown, the liquid to be treated is introduced into the top compartment 86 through an intake pipe 98, which extends a slight distance below the surface 100--100 of the liquid in this compartment, this surface or liquid level 00--l00 being maintained by the discharge pipe |02, which passes through the conical wall of the diffuser casing 92 in this compartment, through the bottom |04 of the compartment and then below the surface lim-40's or liquid level in the compartment 84. The liquid level in the compartment 84, like that in the compartment 86, is maintained by an overflow pipe 10B passing through the perforated top 9S of the diffuser,v through the conical wall of the housing 92 and then through the bottom 108 `of this compartment St into the compartment 82 and below the liquid level 10D- |00 in said compartment 82. The liquid level of the liquid in the `compartment 824 is maintained by the discharge pipe 94 which can either have a discharge rate substantially equal the intake rate through the intake pipe Q8 or it can, as herein shown, like the overflow pipes IGZ and IBB., extend up through the bottom H0 of the compartment 82 through the conical wall of the diffuser housing 92 in said compartment 82 and to the level it-E00 of the liquid in the compartment 32.

In order that the gas bubbles which are not absorbed by or thoroughly mixed with the liquid may be recycled in each compartment, each compartment is preferably provided with a gas separator ring lll which divides the space above the liquid' level N30-m0 in the compartment into a central circular space Il 2 and an annular space H4 surrounding it. It will be seen that the liquid which is recirculated by the rotor IIE will first come up on the outside of the diffuserl casing d2 and enter the annular space IM, the gas ring H0 projecting slightly below the level I (l0-I 60 of the liquid in each compartment. This permits the bubbles of gas which have not become thoroughly mixed with or absorbed by the liquid to break in the annular space H4 and be again drawn into the atmosphere in the space H8 above the liquid level 90-90 in the casing 92, the gas passing` down through the intake tube l 20 projecting up into the space l i4.

Those bubbles of gas which have been ab sorbed by or thoroughly mixed with the liquid will pass under the gas ring ii-l and be recircu lated. Some. of these bubbles', however. particula'rlyl when the liquid has become thoroughlyI charged', willi be released into' the space H'Z andpass` up. through the gas tube 88 into:r the next chamber above" where they will be discharged? 7. into thefgasatmosphere maintained in the space |18 in said chamber;

It will be noted that the means for eiecting the circulation and maintaining the level 99-99 in the casing 92 in the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 is a simple propeller rotor |16 of the type shown in Figure 1 of the co-pending application of John Johnson, deceased, Serial No. 553,500, filed November l5, 1944 now Patent 2,450,802 dated Oct, 5, 1948, this rotor having a now-directing shroud 122 connected to its propeller blades but having no stator blades associated therewith. This rotor, like that shown in Figure 1 of the present application, may be driven from a driving shaft 12!! connected to any suitable motor, not shown, mounted upon the top of the multiple unit structure.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5, which shows another multiple unit structure, the means for maintaining the liquid level in each compartment comprises a pi-pe 125 extending to the desired level 169-1913 in each compartment and draining any excess liquid in this compartment either into the next compartment below or to the outside of the apparatus. In this form of the invention there is also provided a second down pipe 128, surrounding the driving shaft 124 and having a funnel-like top |30 into which foam accumulating on the surface of the liquid above the level Miti-19d can be drawn by the rotor |16 and recirculated to insure its diiusion throughout the liquid.

As shown, the down pipe 126 may be formed by welding a strip, V-shaped in section, to the inner wall of the casing 89. Since the apparatus shown in Figure 5 is provided with a foam collector the gas separator ring 110 is omitted from this apparatus.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 6 the circulating unit is provided with the dispersing or homogenizin-g means shown in Figure 1, in order further to break up and diffuse the gas bubbles. In this form of the invention, as in Figure 6, the overflow or liquid level maintaining pipes in each compartment are of the form shown in Figure 5. This form of the invention dii-fers from that shown in Figure 4 in that the gas separating ring 132, shown in Figure 6, is of much smaller diameter and the gas conductor 84, leading the gas to the next compartment above, opens into the space above the liquid in the annular space 134 outside the gas ring 132.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the apparatus for charging or otherwise treating a liquid with gas of the present invention provides simple and eflicient means for insuring a thorough dissemination of the gas throughout the liquid in the form of very ne rbubbles and that the apparatus is of such a simple construction and nature that it is practically self*v cleaning and cannot readily get out of order.

Although the homogenizing or dispersing means which is combined with the rotating pron peller or liquid circulator of the illustrative ernbodiment of the invention is of the form shown in Figure l of the drawings of the copending application of John Johnson, deceased, Serial No. 569,719, iiled December 26, 1944, it will be understood that other forms of homogenizing or dispersing means, such as shown in other gures of said copending application, may be combined with the liquid circulator without departing from the spirit of the invention and that other forms 8T of liquid circulating means may also be employed.

What is claimed' as new is:

'1. Diiusing apparatus comprising, in combination, a container completely enclosing the liquid to be treated, a multiple jet producing deviceincluding a casing located in said container below the normal liquid level therein and having a jet producing top wall, a bottom discharge and liquid withdrawing means connected to said bottom discharge for maintaining a liquid level in said casing suiciently below said jet producing top wall so that liquid in said container, which is to be charged, impregnated or treated with a gas, may travel in numerous intimately spaced jets through an atmosphere of the said gas into said liquid, and a gas intake into said casing through which gas may be introduced to maintain the gas atmosphere therein, said liquid withdrawing means including means for effecting a thorough commingling of the parts of said charged liquid with each other during withdrawal, said liquid container being shaped to provide recycling of said liquid through the jet device and said gas intake having openings therein above the liquid level in said container to receive and cause the reintroduction into the gas atmosphere in said casing of gas carried out of said casing by said liquid that has not become diffused therein.

2. Diiiusing apparatus according to claim 1 in 'which said commingling means includes means for breaking the charged liquid up into many individual streams and effecting a mechanical shearing action on each of said streams.

3. Diiusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the withdrawing means comprises jet producing screens interrupting the discharge to cause said charged liquid to stream therefrom in numerous intimately spaced jets.

4. Diiusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the withdrawing means includes both means for effecting a thorough commingling of the parts of the charged liquid and means for causing the charged liquid to stream therefrom in numerous intimately spaced jets.

5. Diflusing apparatus in which the apparatus of claim 1 comprises one of a series of like devices which are so arranged that the liquid to be impregnated or treated travels in succession therethrough in one direction.

6. Difusing apparatus in which the apparatus of claim 1 comprisesr one of a series of connected like devices so arranged one above the other that the unabsorbed or unmixed impregnating or treating gas may travel in succession upwards therethrough.

7. Diusing apparatus in which the apparatus of claim 1 comprises one of a series of connected like devices so arranged one above the other that the liquid to be impregnated or treated may travel in succession downwardly therethrough in one direction and the unabsorbed or unmixed impregnating or treating gas may travel in succession upwardly therethrough.

8. Diffusion apparatus according to claim 1 in which the multiple jet producing device comprises means arranged for actuation from outside the apparatus for simultaneously varying the crass-sectional area of each of said jets.

9. Diffusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the multiple jet-producing device comprises perforated plates, one superimposed upon the other and constructed to be moved relatively from a position in which the perfcrations of the two plates register into various perforation restricting relations, and means for effecting such relative movements of said plates automatically.

10. Difusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the multiple jet-producing device comprises perforated plates one superimposed upon the other and constructed for angular relative movement from a position in which the perforations of the two plates register into various perforation restricting relations.

11. Diffusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the multiple jet-producing device comprises perforated plates, one superimposed upon the other and constructed for angular relative movement from a position in which the perforations of the two plates register into various perforation restricting relations and in which there are means extending to the exterior of the apparatus for effecting such relative movement.

12. Difusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the commngling means comprise substantially contiguous screens arranged in the path of flow of the liquid, from the withdrawing means and relatively movable to bring the openings in each gradually into and out of complete register with openings in the other as the charged liquid is driven therethrough by the withdrawing means.

13. Diiusing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the withdrawing means comprise a liquid propelling rotor and in which stator blades adjacent to the rotor constitute a part of the commingling means.

14. Diffusing apparatus according to claim 1 l0 in which the withdrawing means comprise a liquid propelling rotor and in which stator blades adjacent to the rotor constitute a part of the commingling means, substantially contiguous screens, one connected to said stators and the other to said rotor being so constructed and arranged that the relative movement thereof thus produced gradually brings the openings in each into and out of complete register with the openings in the other as the charged liquid directed thereto by the stator blades is driven therethrough by the propelling rotor.

ETHEL H. JOHNSON. Efewtrix of the Estate of John Johnson,

Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,538,457 Zoelly May 19, 1925 1,768,928 Peters July 1, 1930 1,862,069 Subkow June 7, 1932 2,082,759 Walker June 1, 1937 2,154,150 De Becze Apr. 11, 1939 2,174,540 Wallace Oct. 3, 1939 2,189,779 Damon Feb. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 744,300 France Apr. 18, 1933 

